Compilations Music

This double CD is a real treasure, and a showcase of both the musicianship and scholarship. Rachel Barton Pine has researched both the composers and the history of the performances of the works she has recorded. She has produced the most attractive booklet which goes with the CDs, in which she teaches the subject in an effective, friendly and captivating way. Particularly interesting is her documentation of Sarasate's familiarity with Scottish fiddling. Rachel Barton Pine has also a very attractive and informative web site on which one can find information about this project. Just "Google" her and her site comes right up. I think that her web site is great. One can find the schedule of her concerts and all sorts of interesting educational things. I only wish that all great performers would do the same.
Rachel Barton Pine is a virtuoso, but her musicianship shines and it makes her virtuosity just a tool. She is so much more than the flying fingers. In a winning combination with Maestro Alexander Platt, an immensely talented conductor, they have produced a classic which will be listened to for years to come. There may never be a comparable Scottish Fantasy and Pibroch Suite performance. Mr. Platt leaves no note unexpressed. As opposed to the lesser conductors, who sometimes overpower the soloist, or who seek their own limelight at the expense of the soloist, Mr. Platt achieves a perfect union of the soloist and the orchestra, just as it should be. The Scottish Chamber Orchestra is also at its best.
These records' main value is in the interpretation, which is insightful and elegant. There are no over-interpretations, however, in which the soloist or orchestra would push their own detailed view of this music. Instead, certain dreaminess is allowed, and the listeners can build their own Scottish Fantasies and become active participants in this music.
Sarasate's Airs écossaise is a totally charming piece. The Medley of Scots Tunes, by Rachel Barton Pine and Alasdair Fraser, a master Scottish fiddler, is an event. I admit to listening to it consecutively eight times, and would have listened to it more times, but was afraid of a total addiction.
The great art of fiddling, the artists' dreams about their countries of origin, pictures of beautiful Scotland, and the musical finesse and musicianship are all the impressions you will come out with after listening to these great recordings.
This review is dedicated to Dr. Andrew B. Dempster for his birthday. Andrew has shown me his native country, Scotland, and guided me through its history. I came back with wonderful memories, and a book of music sheets on Scottish fiddling, my most precious music sheets ever.

A very pleasant, often lively, evocative and enjoyable set of CDs. The video documentary included in the second CD tells about how Barton Pine studied Celtic/Scottish music before making her recording, and the extra work shows in her ability to render the Bruch as a far lovelier recording than any other violinst has. She finds the tensions, the delicacies and the warmth of this piece. Add to that, the Sarasate is also beautifully done -- sorry it was so short a piece. On the second CD, the Mackenzie and the McEwen, not heard that often, are also really well done. This isn't fiddling -- you get true classical versions of the folk tunes hidden in these selections. Because of that, Barton Pine brings out nuances that were never before explored, and she does it by showing you just how good, how rich, this music can be. The final piece, Barton Pine's arrangement of scottish tunes, is also enjoyable --a fun way to end an album that is both relaxing and delightful. Highly recommended.

A very beautiful piece of music that is brilliantly played by a wonderfully talented violinist. A technicly challenging piece that Ms. Pine truely brings to life.

Did not have to wait forever to receive this music. Prompt and user friendly service. Very pleased

I was initially disappointed with this CD....because it sounded to me as if it was highly orchestrated and the melody was positively on point. But once I sped up the BPMs by about 4, it made a huge difference in what I was hearing. Much better at a slightly faster speed!

I really like this cd!
All I need is some rum punch and my caribbean breeze!
ALL the songs are nice.

Although this CD has an interesting lineup of songs, I found the versions of the songs bland and uninspiring. The recording is thin sounding and lacks the rich full sound that makes the steel drums a wonderful instrument.

Good compilation of pan only island "toones." Not sure who the "arteest's" are, but the sounds are just right! Hey waiter, get me another Bacardi!

We were very pleased with this CD. It was exactly what we were looking for.

We received this CD as a gift before our first, and only, son arrived this past Spring. To be honest I was looking forward to hours of old lullibies as I was having to spend money on purple dinosaurs and stuffed animals with weird geometric shapes growing out of their heads forced on us by the Brits. However, my wife and I were more than pleasantly surprised.

This folk take on the classic lullibies is a winner. We can listen to it everyday . . . and we do! Within a few minutes, our son is sound asleep or at least calm and quiet and we're singing along (usually offkey). It reminds of Mermaid Avenue by Billy Bragg and Wilco who brought Woody Guthrie back to life with a "sound that raised the roofs of the old barns. Just what Woody would have done."

And now, we've given out three as gifts!

Wow! This is truly a treasure! A great collection of beautiful heartfelt and good songs. A family favorite over here.

My husband and I play this cd every night while we rock our triplets to sleep. As several of the other reviewers have said this is a great cd to sing along to (even for those of us with very limited musical abilities). My personal favorite: Home on the Range.

My almost 2 year old granddaughter requests this be turned on even when we are not napping. She tries to sing along to the soothing songs. Great music investment for our whole family!

I started listening to this CD before my twin boys were born, so I could be able to sing along to all the songs when they arrived. Even if you're not a natural born singer, the songs are really catchy, with soothing arrangements that will calm a sleep deprived dad.
Now the CD is part of our bedtime routine. Humming the tunes has also helped calm our babies during fussy times. Choosing good music for babies is important. Make sure you choose something you like - your babies will respond well if the music makes mommy/daddy happy too!

This CD is a great mood setter for fans of classic love songs. AAA selections only.

i just finished listening to this and so far i am impressed. it always takes a few listenes to really get everything out of a mix cd but as i said i like it. its jazzy, upbeat, with a hint of minimal and tech house. Fred Everything's Mercyless gets it going with some liquid soul which sets the tone for this great mix. by the end it gets a little heavier but still carries the signature funk of OM. also i must say it is not as cheesey as the last miami mix which also pleases me. i listen to alot of everything, especially the harder styles of dance music and i feel this covers alot of everything while maintaining a smooth, soulfull elegence that can really get you moving. i hope this review was helpfull.

I love this CD because I can play it in my car and at work without worrying about lyrics that can be offensive. I also find that kids love to listen to the CD as well.

It may not be pure country, but for my money the greatest Dylan cover ever is Jason and The Nashville Scorchers blistering rendition of "Absolutely Sweet Marie". To me, in a great cover the artist retains the feel of the original while making the song his own at the same time. JaTNS accomplished that in spades. It may not have fit here perfectly, but it would definitely have juiced up the proceedings.
The stuff here is very nice for the most part, and worth a listen.

AMG had a fairly glowing review of this CD, so I checked out a copy from our public library network to give it a listen. Although it's a pleasant enough collection of Dylan songs - and with a few real highlights - Jerry Jeff Walker's take on "One Too Many Mornings" for example, I don't think the CD as a whole warrants serious praise.

A few of these covers I have elsewhere in my collection, not to mention some of the Dylan versions, so there's no need for me to pursue this further right now. Still, if I see this at a bargain price, say under $5, I might scoop it up.

Good idea, but the track selection could have been better. There are many more true country covers that could/should have been used, instead of several of these tracks that are bluegrass or folk rather than country. Dave Dudley, George Hamilton IV, Ray Stevens, Jerry Reed, The Browns, John Anderson, Statler Brothers come to mind. I was also surprised to see the re-use of Restless Farewell from A Nod To Bob, another Dylan tribute from just a couple of years ago.
FYI: Nashville Skyline Rag is Earl Scruggs with Bob Dylan, and Heartland is the Willie Nelson & Bob Dylan duet. Bob also plays harmonica on Boots of Spanish Leather.

I would say "It's All Over Now Baby Blue" by the bluegrass band The Seldom Scene with vocals by the late great John Duffy. Too bad it was left off this CD... would have been a great fit. Also, "Rita Mae" by Jerry Lee Lewis (from his late 70's Elektra LP) would have been an cool country-rockin' choice for this collection. Overall, though, I guess this is a nice mix of the obvious and the obscure. And heaven knows there is plenty of material out there for a Volume 2 (including the two I mentioned).
Let's hope they're working on that now!

Why, in this era of of iTunes et al do CDs like this exist? Any of us can now pull together a mix CD based on whatever theme we like. The only reasons for relying on the record companies to pull something together like this:

1) Liner notes/documentation. Well, these liner notes are worthless! And, the recording details are minimal.

2) Great songs not currently on CD. OK, I gotta give them their props here: Glen Campbell's take on "If Not for You" hasn't been in print since the early 1970s. Ditto for Buck Owens'"Love Minus Zero." And, bonus points for unearthing the Kitty Wells take on "Forever Young."

3) Great remastered sound. Nope.

One out of three...ain't good. And, to make matters worse, "Dylan Country" doesn't even live up to its name. I love the Byrds. But (a) they aren't a country band and (b) this isn't even their best rendition of "You Ain't Going Nowhere." Almost every country music great from the 1960s-1980s recorded a Dylan song. So, why does this compilation feature dubious acts like Jennifer Warnes (Jennifer Warnes?!), Tim O'Brien and Peter Ostroushko, while passing on artists like Jerry Reed, Flying Burrito Bros., the Carter Sisters, Flatt & Scruggs (though, granted, Scruggs is here), Doc Watson, Kris Kristofferson, Carlene Carter, Toni Price, Jason & the Scorchers, and others. Passing on Emmylou Harris's definitive cover of "Every Grain of Sand" in favor of "When I Paint my Masterpiece" is similarly odd.

awesome CD if you are a Southpark Fan and appreciate the humor. Otherwise, don't buy it if you are easily offended.

i got my copy. i was laughing so hard. Isaac Hayes lampooning his own funk!..totally hilarious! that alone gets 4 stars from me :)

I bought this for one piece, Sail Away. I had no idea it was so gratuitously raunchy. Got what I paid for. Prompt shipment.

It is so refreshing to get a n album that gets the humor of South Park. I bought it for 'Chocolate Salty Balls,' but was pleasantly suprised by the rest fo the album. This is a 'Must Have'.

alot of good south park songs but needed more of naughty ones on it,but its worth buying if you enjoy the show

BadBoy reigned supreme in the mid to late 90's. Puff and his artists had a swag all their own. They started the bling craze and raised the bar for what a black label should be. Like Puff said, it's not just the music but a lifestyle.

To be honest, the only reason I bought this CD, was becasue there was a DVD that came with it. This so called "The Hits" really doesn't showcase the hits that Bad Boy made. First: If Diddy was trying to help perserve the legacy of The Notoroious B.I.G., then there should be more songs on here, since Biggie did have the most hits from Bad Boy. "Juicy" should have been on here but it isn't. Nor is "Sky Is The Limit". Second: There has been newer Bad Boy talent since Biggie has died. The latest song I see on here, not to include "Victory 2004", was "I Need A Girl Part 2". There have been many songs from many artists that should have been on here. Bad Boy's Da Band could have atleast had a spot on this album, just to show some love for that group, even if they were unbalanced. What about G. Dep's "Lets Get It"? or Shyne's "Bad Boyz"? I can sit here and type all day of artists and some songs that could have been on this list.

Don't get me wrong though, the majority of these songs on this CD are good. Craig Mack's "Flava In Ya Ear (Remix)" is still dope as it was back in '94. "Mo Money, Mo Problems", "Big Poppa", and "All About The Benjamins" were also some of Bad Boy's major hits. I don't know why "Hypnotize" is edited on this CD (and poorly if I might add). Also 112's "Only You (Remix)" left out Mase's verse and only has Biggie's rap verse in the beginnng. Also there is a bonus track "I'm No Killa" by Mase, and it's wack too.

The DVD I had came with this had some of the hits from the company. It doesn't have the remix to Craig Mack's "Flava In Ya Ear" but it has the origonal. It's still good if you ask me. Most of these songs that were on the audio CD are on the DVD. I still they should have put "Juicy" on here, but didn't. That was the biggest dissapointment for me on this whole release. Maybe it was becasue it was going to be saved until the reissue of "Ready To Die" was going to hit stores months later.

Regardless of why this was released, there should have been more material on this one than whats on here now. I really can't recommend this to anyone, unless they're Bad Boy fanatics, and even they will be dissapointed with this. My only solution is that if you want a Bad Boy's Greatest Hits CD, you can make one yourself, if you haven't already.

What about "One More Chance" the remix? How could they forget this popular one?!!! This was the jam of the day through out late 95 to early 96.

I am not a huge fan of Diddys or the bad boy family, although Biggie was the man, but this cd has some definite standouts and is well worth buying. The highlight being victory "2004", the original was good and had a really cool music video but the addition of Lloyd banks and 50 has made it even better. Its actually one of if not the best hip hop song of all time. "Hypnotize" also shines, Biggie was a master of hip hop and died way too young.Lets get this straight, Tu Pac had nothing on Biggie."BIG Poppa" and the "only you remix" are the other gems of this album. Overall get this cd if your a fan of really entertaining and fun hip hop.

the bad boy family are great but dis album just makes it even better